Broom-bridle.



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

r WILLIAM H. SMITH, OF BEACH, NORTH DAKOTA.,

BROOM-BRIDLE.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beach, in the county of Billings` and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Broom-Bridles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to broom bridles and has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and durable device of this character' whereby the strands of broom-corn may be closely and compactly held and prevented from breaking in the use of the broom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bridle for brooms which may be easily and quickly applied and adjusted thereon, and which will not effect to any material extent the free bending or flexing of thebroom body in its movement over a floor surface.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a very simple and eiiieient means for securely holding the bridle in its adjusted position upon the broom body, said means being capable of easy and quick disengagement from the body of the broom to permit of the adjustment of the bridle.

With the above and other objects in view. the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a broom having my improved bridle applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the broom illustrating the means employed to retain the bridle in its adjusted position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the bridle detached from the broom; Fig. 1 is a detail perspective View of one of the bridle holding members.

Referring in detail to the drawing B designates the body of the broom which is formed of broom straw hunched in the usual manner and secured to the end of a suitable handle H. Adjacent to the handle the broom straws are seWed together in the usual manner.

My improved bridle consists primarily of a single length of wire which may be of copper, steel or other metal having the desired resiliency or spring action. At points Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 30, 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912. serial No. 687,498.

intermediate of its ends the wire which is generally indicated by the numeral 5 is angularly bent to provide the inwardly extending converging portions G at opposite ends of the longitudinal portion 7. The

portions (i of the wire are provided intermediate of their ends with eyes 8, and at the ends of said portions 6 the wire is bent to provide the coils 9, from which coils the wire is extended to provide the portions 10 which correspond to the angularly disposed portions 6, said last named portions of the wire being also provided with eyes 11. The end portions of the wire 5 are extended inwardly from the angular portions 10 as shown at 12 and in parallel relation to the intermediate portion 7 of the wire. The extremities of the wire are provided with engaged loops or eyes 13 whereby the same are permanently connected. Brace wires 14 have their ends secured in the eyes 13 and 8 of the inwardly extending angular portions 11 and 6 respectively of the wire. The opposed corresponding portions 10 and 6 at opposite ends of the longitudinally extending portions of the wire are convergently extended from said longitudinal portions to the coils 9 whereby, when the bridle is applied to the broom body, the longitudinal portions 7 and 12 and the connecting wires lllv will exert a clamping pressure upon opposite sides of the broom.

In order to retain the bridle in position upon the broom body, I provide the members 16 shown in detail in Fig. 3. These members each consist of a short piece of wire bent to provide a loop indicated at 17. One end 18 of this wire is bent around the inner turn of one of the coils 9 of the wire 5, while the other end of the wire member 16 extends laterally and inwardly from the coil and is sharpened or pointed as shown at 19 for engagement in the body of the broom. It will thus be seen from reference to Fig. 1 that when these retaining members are so engaged with the broom body the bridle is securely held against longitudinal movement thereon.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of the device will be clearly understood.

In the application of the bridle the same is inserted over the end of the handle and moved downwardly thereon upon the body of the broom, said broom body being received between the opposite convergently disposed end portions of the bridle and between the parallel longitudinal portions 7 and 412 thereof. As the bridle is forced downwardly upon the wider portion of the broom, the clamping pressure of the bridle upon the body gradually increases. ln this movement of the bridle, the operator grasps the converging end portions of the bridle acent to the coils 9 and forces outwardly upon the same. hen the bridle has been properly positioned on the broom, the end portions thereof are released whereupon they will assume their natural form and cause the spurs or points 19 on the ends of the members 16 to be deeply embedded in the body of the broom.

By means of my improved bridle, the broom straws are c'ompactly held together and prevents their cracking or breaking. At the same time, the device may be easily and quickly shifted to a new position upon the body of the broom as the same becomes worn from continued or severe usage. Owing to the simple construction of the device, it will be obvious that the same is extremely durable and may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

While I have shown and described the preferred form and construct-ion of the various parts, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A broom bridle consisting of a primary member formed from a single length of resilient wire bent to provide parallel longitudinal portions and angularly disposed converging end portions, brace wires connecting the corresponding end portions of said member, and means mounted loetween the end portions of the body memloer and supported thereby for engagement in the body of abroom to hold the bridle in position thereon.

2. A broom bridle comprising a primary member consisting of a single length of resilient wire bent to provide parallel longitudinal portions and angularly disposed converging portions at each end of the longitudinal portions of the wire, coils formed in the wire and connecting said end portions at their converging ends, retaining elements mounted in said coils for engagement in they broom body to hold the bridle in position thereon, and longitudinal brace wires connecting the angular portions of said primary member, said brace wires and the longitudinal portions of the main body wire engaging upon opposite sides of the broom body.

3. A broom bridle comprising a primary member formed from a single length of wire bent to provide parallel longitudinal portions for engagement upon opposite sides of a broom body and convergently disposed end portions at the corresponding ends of said longitudinal portions to engage upon the edge of the broom body, coils formed in said body wire intermediate of its ends and connecting the converging end portions thereof, and retaining spurs mounted in said coils for engagement in the broom body to retain the bridle in its adjusted position thereon.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SMITH.

Witnesses Ro'r. A. SPRAGUE, L. A. MALTER.

Ccpies o1 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

